Kind of meh!

I was really excited thinking it's going to be about a broadway-based romance, but instead a lot of the book had this silly, eye-rolling love triangle that didn't even make sense.

Really liked the grumpy x sunshine vibe between the MCs but there was so much happening with the plotline that made me lose interest.

Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book! It manages to capture the feeling of a really good partner dance, getting swept up in the chemistry and the will-they-won't-they of it all. It's got some elements of its riffed-on namesake, Dirty Dancing, but it also has so much more – great messy characters, beautiful queer love stories, sexy stolen moments, found family, and adult summer camp energy! I couldn't put it down!

Flirty Dancing has a cute premise. A queer drag queen version of Dirty Dancing. But … the characters are all adults, who act like teenagers. This just didn’t come together for me.

This book took me a second to get into but once I did I was in, I really started to enjoy it. When Archer gets to Shady Queens, the cast of characters around him are really entertaining. A lot of behind the scenes drama and different crushes happening throughout the story. The one part of this book that didn't really hit for me was the fact Matteo and Archer couldn't figure it out, I get that sometimes there are crushes, but Archer 'dating' Caleb instead of just falling for Matteo was silly to me, since the signs were there the whole time. Overall, this book was about living out a dream and working on a dream, no matter your age, and I really appreciate that.

I had a great time with this read and I'm glad I picked it up. I've been shying away from most 'fame' trope romances as it just isn't my cup of tea most of the time. I picked this one up because the summer camp element was intriguing and that really paid off. The whole set up and the cast of characters give off big 'theater kid' vibes and Moffatt does a fantastic job with setting and characters. I do wish it was a dual POV read, especially since it takes a while for the main couple to actually get together, but dual POV is always my preference.

This was Dirty Dancing reimagined as a queer rom com and I was totally here for it! Dirty dancing was one of my favorite movies growing up (still is), so I completely appreciated the subtle nods to it (“stop standing there like you carried a watermelon”).

Archer is an older dancer, who still has dreams of making it big on Broadway. He finally lands a gig dancing in the Catskills at summer camp like resort for families. There he meets Mateo, a washed up dancer of Archer’s youth, who he of course had a monstrous crush on. If you weren’t a fan of the grumpy - sunshine trope before, the banter and slow burn between these two will change that immediately!

I liked the story, but the execution was not there for me. All the main characters in this story seemed like they were in high school, not their mid twenties. I know that Archer wasn't paying attention to how Mateo was acting, but it was obvious there was something between him. This story seemed more like a high school drama than anything.

I also wasn't aware of the affect that it would be a closed door romance. I went in thinking there would be some sort open door but it's all fade to black/closed door. I am not deducting a star from this, but I do think it should be noted.

The development of the characters was okay in my opinion. Archer didn't seem any different from start to finish. I think the person who made the most strides was Mateo, and he didn't even have a POV.

Dirty Dancing is one of my favorite movies, so of course I jumped at reading a contemporary queer homage set in the Catskills! Flirty Dancing (obsessed with the title) is exactly as adorable as it sounds. It’s a theater kid’s dream, taking readers behind the scenes of the musical revue at Shady Queens resort where the onstage performances and backstage drama are scorching hot. The main character Archer, a true lover of the arts, lands a gig dancing at the queer-friendly resort after striking out in the NYC audition circuit. When he arrives for rehearsal, Archer finds himself partnered with his childhood crush and former Broadway star Mateo Dixon. What ensues is an eventful summer full of secret trysts, messy feuds, and a vibrant cast of memorable personalities.

As a theater kid whose summers were spent running lines and perfecting choreography, I ate this novel up! Archer is entering the professional scene “later in life” (he’s only 27) so we are learning the ropes right along with him. Archer and Mason’s connection is at the forefront and their chemistry was undeniable from the start. There are some tension-filled rehearsal scenes that had me grinning and I loved the way they slowly progressed from dance partners to tentative friends to lovers. Also, as an ardent Phantom of the Opera supporter, I lost it at the sexy karaoke performance of All I Ask of You!

Flirty Dancing is a vibrant representation of the theater community, celebrating queerness in all its facets. It highlights an array of three-dimensional characters and the group of performers, guests, and friends truly made this book come alive. Their complex relationships drive the narrative and the incestual group dynamics will make sense to anyone who has lived, worked, and partied in the same space as their romantic prospects. Boundaries blur in environments like these and I was LIVING for the drama!

I highly recommend Flirty Dancing for your summer TBR! It’s a joyful, theatrical romp with a cast you won’t soon forget!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 - Flirty Dancing is full of dancing, drama, relationships and summer camp goodness.

Archer and Mateo meet at Shady Queens, a summer resort where they’re a part of the entertainment team, dancing in multiple shows every week and partnering for more than one number. Archer is waiting for his big break and hopes that this is it for him and Mateo is getting back into showbiz after leaving it all behind years ago. There’s definite chemistry between the two of them, but Archer idolizes Mateo after seeing him in his Broadway glory years ago and thinks he’s out of his league.

This story definitely has some Dirty Dancing vibes and made me miss summer camp, but all of the drama between the dancers got to be a bit much. I wanted Archer to realize what was between him and Mateo much earlier and leave the unnecessary drama behind to get something even better and more mature going between them. Even with the drama and the drawn out, super slow burn of Archer and Mateo’s relationship, this was a fun, easy read. I think I could have easily given it 4 stars if there was a bit more relationship development between Archer and Mateo and if we spent a little less time with Archer’s roommate and her engagement side story.

Flirty Dancing by Jennifer Moffett
Contemporary M-M romance.
Archer Read takes the summer to try for a career onstage as a dancer. It’s always been his dream. He’s quit his accountant job and moved from Ohio to New York and has gone on interview after audition over and over. So far Archer hasn’t gotten a second look, let alone a call back. As a last ditch effort, he takes a job at the Shady Queens in the Catskills, a queer friendly resort. Archer meets teenage crush, Mateo Dixon there but while they smolder on the dance floor, Mateo isn’t friendly offstage at all. Archer starts a casual sexual relationship with roommate Caleb as most of the dancers seemed to have teamed up. Lots of show performances, lots of drinking and board games and as the summer progresses, the show gets sloppy as relationships break down and change. Something has to change or Archer may end up back in Ohio at a job he doesn’t want, and the loss of his dreams.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook which is narrated by Mark Sanderlin. The performance is wonderful and helps to bring the characters to life. I heard the indecision, the angst, the career and inadequacy concerns.
I did listen to this at slightly above 1.5 to more closely match my reading speed. I prefer reading the two formats together and in this case the audiobook held my attention a bit more during the angst and uncertainty of new relationships.

Career transition and uncertainty and temporary relationship conflicts made this book angsty and feel almost young or new adult even tho the characters are a bit older.
Mostly closed door, or at least nothing exceedingly graphic.
Loved the way it all came together in the end.
3.5
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.

4.5/5 stars
1/5 spice (kissing/fade to black)

Tropes:
Dirty Dancing vibes
Summer Camp setting
Dancer MCs
MM Romance
Love triangle
LGBTQIA rep
Forced proximity
Slow burn
Single POV

This book was entertaining in all the good ways. Was there drama worthy of a daytime soap opera? Of course! Was there swoon-worthy romance? Yessss... was there angst and palpable sexual tension between the characters? All. The. Tension. This is one of those books that would make a great rom-com film. It has all the parts it needs to be an unforgettable love story and taps into the nostalgia of Dirty Dancing but with a diverse cast of characters.

Despite including adult themes and sexual content, this would be a great book for fans of minimal to no spice. The story would have worked well regardless of spice level because the characters were just so fun to get to know. I highly recommend this book for fans of classic rom-coms, love triangles, and LGBTQIA rep.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Flirty Dancing is fun, flirty summer romance. Archer quit his job and now looking to follow his broadway dreams. Turns out this is not easy to do and he's struggling with the rejections. He finds a place at Shady Queen- a resort in the Catskills. He decides to take a chance and he meets Mateo a broadway star. He also meets Caleb and things get complicated and messy! This was a fun summer read. It's full of all the silly things you did in your 20's and a whacky cast of side characters.

Thanks for the ARC! Flirty Dancing delivers a fun, summer-camp-meets-Broadway vibe with lots of drama, romance, and heartfelt moments. The setting is vibrant and the musical references were a treat. Archer’s journey is relatable, though some character arcs and romantic developments felt a little rushed. Still, it’s a lively, feel-good story with a lot of heart—and glitter to spare.

Overall, this was a fun read. It’s lightly inspired by Dirty Dancing, and yes there are plenty of cute little references, but this story does stand apart from that one. Archer is a guy who wants to break into the Broadway dancing scene and Mateo is a guy who has already had that and lost it. They both end up in their first year at Shady Queens, performing in the summer cabaret. I didn’t like the Caleb subplot at all, but I did like how Archer and Mateo danced their way into flirting and then even more. The tension between these MCs is VISCERAL. Especially when they are dancing. My goodness. I also felt like the book wrapped up almost too quickly and perfectly but at least it was cute!

I really wanted to like this and I'm sad to say that it just didn't work for me. While I found the overall premise to be rather interesting, the execution of the story (and its lethargic pacing) undercut a lot of the momentum that is built.

Once I started reading this book it was hard to put down, I instantly loved Archer and was rooting for him throughout the whole story. Archer's relationship with his roommate and his parents is one that you get glimpses of throughout the book. These relationships give you more insight into Archer's actions and motivations for pursuing his dream.

There were moments in which I was frustrated with Archer's choices, like seriously why Caleb, I mean he is convenient but that was about it for him. While I wasn't a fan of Caleb from the start, there is room for this character to grow and learn from his mistakes which was a highlight of this story. I loved how fleshed out each of the individual characters are throughout this book and how many of them are a part of the LGBTQ+ community.

While I don't have a background in dance this book makes it easy to understand so don't worry if dancing isn't something that you are familiar with. This book gives you a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes life of a dancer and how hard someone works to make it to Broadway. It was entertaining to read as the characters attended rehearsal as well as see how they maneuvered the various situations that came up throughout their time in the performance.

Now on to the love interest, Mateo, whom I was enamored with from the minute he stepped into the book. While he is off putting and pushing everyone away you get a sense that he has some demons hidden in the closet. I enjoyed how this unfolded and how we slowly got to find out more about Mateo in his interactions with Archer. I like that the sexual tension builds up between these two and they aren't instantly together. I thought it was fascinating to see how things unfold and the slight miscommunication that occurs between Archer and Mateo that he then has to resolve.

One thing that stood out to me in this book was that all of the sexual scenes were briefly described or fade to black which is so rare for an adult romance. As someone who is ace and would love to enjoy more of this genre I was pleased by this aspect and squealed in joy as I spoke about this with others.

Final Verdict: Flirty Dancing is a must read for those of you looking for a fun book to read this summer. Those of you who are fans of Dirty Dancing will enjoy this book as well as those of you who like a slow burn romance.

A queer, closed door roamnce based around Dirty Dancing, but make it more Broadway.

When an accountant's true dream is to dance on the stage, he finds his last chance at a cabaret summer gig high in the Catskills. When our intrepid dancers finds himself in front of his youthful crush, he isn't sure what to do.

Truly delightful, silly, cute, queer, and lovely.

Flirty Dancing by Jennifer Moffatt is a fun, queer summer romp that blends the heart of Dirty Dancing with the chaotic energy of Wet Hot American Summer. Set at a queer-friendly Catskills resort called Shady Queens, this MM romance follows 27-year-old Archer, an ex-accountant chasing Broadway dreams, and Mateo, his icy former celeb crush now working behind the scenes.

There’s a lot to enjoy here—especially the campy setting, vibrant supporting cast, and the warm, queer community feel. I loved Lynn (Archer’s roommate) and Eileen (resident resort legend). Narrator Mark Sanderlin brought great energy to the audiobook, making it easy to breeze through.

That said, the story leans more into coming-of-age/life reset territory than true romance. The chemistry between Archer and Mateo is promising but underexplored, partly because of a prolonged subplot involving a shallow fling with Caleb. The romance takes a backseat to the larger ensemble drama, and while the ending is sweet, it felt a bit abrupt after such a slow build.

If you're looking for a cute, theater-loving, queer summer story with big camp energy, this one fits the bill. Just know the romance is more of a subplot than the main focus.

Did you ever go to summer camp? I haven't but I imagine that the setting of Flirty Dancing is what would happen if there was an adult summer camp.
Filled with dramatics, dancing, will they won't they, and multiple villain redemption arcs Flirty Dancing by Jennifer Moffatt was a complete joy to read. It's filled with humor and heart which leaps off the page.

This was a pretty good book. I think for me it was hard only having one person‘s perspective as I’m used to romance novels having multiple perspectives.

I did enjoy the concept of a dancer down on his luck, trying to find his space in the dancing world after coming from small town, Ohio, joining a bunch of other dancers at a LGBTQ resort in a remote area.

The love triangle aspect again is not my favorite, but I think they kind of worked in this book. It may have been more positive on my side of things if I would’ve gotten Mateo’s point of view.

This was a closed door book. There were multiple scenes where they alluded to something happening, but there was no description.